Miami's downtown city center pulsates with activity as commercial, cultural and leisure pursuits come together in dynamic diversity.

SIGHTSEEING
Low buildings, shopping arcades and storefronts tightly packed with merchandise evoke Miami's origins as a trading town. On West Flagler Street the original 1920s Olympia Theater has become the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, a worthy venue for concerts and performances. A few blocks away, a broad Mediterranean piazza is at the heart of the Miami-Dade Cultural Center, cornered by the graceful arches, barrel tile roofs and cream-colored stucco of the main public library. Also on the piazza, the Miami Art Museum showcases changing exhibits of international art, while the Historical Museum of Southern Florida interweaves the tapestry of local and regional history through permanent and special exhibits. On Biscayne Boulevard, the Freedom Tower, built in1925 as Miami's first skyscraper, recorded city events when it housed the offices of the Miami Daily News and then played a starring part as the gateway to freedom for thousands of Cuban refugees. Across the Boulevard, the white sculpted curves of the American Airlines Arena mark the home of the NBA's Miami Heat. Football is celebrated in the Orange Bowl, home of the University of Miami Hurricanes team.

SHOPPING
Downtown Miami offers big city shopping with a cosmopolitan flair. Department stores and emporiums selling clothes, electronics, sporting goods and more fill the Historic Downtown Miami Shopping District from SE 1st Street to NE 3rd Street. The sounds of Spanish and Portuguese are heard and the aroma of Cuban coffee wafts through the air. Downtown is also the place for jewelry, with dazzling displays in the stores and workshops that make up one of the largest jewelry districts in the U.S.

On Biscayne Boulevard, Bayside Marketplace next to Bayfront Park, borrows from the past as it looks to the future. The open-air shopping and entertainment complex built on the site of Pier 5 fishing pier, one of Miami's most popular tourist spots in the 1950s, is now a waterfront destination for gift shopping, dining and enjoying outdoor performances. Here you can browse through shops and pushcarts selling everything from T-shirts to one-of-a-kind souvenirs.

Just a few minutes north of downtown, the city's historic Buena Vista Village, is the charming setting for The Miami Design District, overflowing with exciting interior design showrooms and stores; art studios and galleries; movie production and theatrical costume companies and more. Here you find interesting furniture, carpets, lighting, fabrics and cutting-edge design accessories, presented in a stylish environment. Don't miss a unique opportunity to explore the area's vast galleries during Gallery Night at the Miami Design District, taking place the second Friday of each month.

DINING AND NIGHT LIFE
Miami's diversity inspires dining delights in a variety of culinary styles from sophisticated to casual. Fine restaurants, grills, bistros and bayside cafes feature flavorful food served in attractive surroundings making Downtown Miami an area of good taste. The James L. Knight International Center is a venue for concerts and sporting events.